Locomotive boiler



April 9, 1929. 3. G. HAWLEY 1,708,919

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER Filed March 20. 1926 m m n I! n n u n u M u H n H H I! H H &

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Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES GILBERT HAl/VLEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LOCOMOTIVE FIRE- BOX COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER.

Application filed March 20, 1926. Serial No. 96,133.

This invention relates to improvements in locomotive boilers and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

It is well known in locomotive boilers that should the water fall below a certain level so as to uncover a relatively large area of the crown sheets disastrous results occur, with not only great property damage but probably loss of life. Many means such as gage glasses and the like have been employed to visibly present to the view of the engine crew, the level of the water in the boiler but owing to conditions within the boiler, such as banking and surging, the levels thus presented and which indicate a sufficient amount of water in the boiler have proven false.

Under low levels wherein large portions of the crown sheet are exposed or uncovered by a receding water level, such exposed or uncovered part issoftened by the heat in the fire box and is susceptible to rupture under steam pressure and when this pressure causes the crownsheet to give way, the release of pros sure on the boiling water in the boiler, permits the same to flash into steam and the whole boiler gives way in an explosion.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a means which acts in the initial uncovering of a part of the crown sheet such as the head or highest point thereof, to restrict or limit the area thus uncovered to one which. is about the stay bolts disposed in said limited area, permits a leakage of steam in the form of a continuous jet into the firebox which is readily observed by the fireman when stoking the firebox. If such conditions appear while upon a run, more water is fed to the boiler to insure submergence and total covering of the crown sheet which will not give way although water might leak into the firebox and the locomotive is removed from service at the earliest convenience.

This object of the invention as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof, will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

Inthe drawings 1- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the firebox end of a locomotive boiler embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the firebox end of the boiler as taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional View as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail view of parts shown in Fig. 1 and which will be more fullv referred to later. U

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings: 1 indicates the back or door sheet of the firebox and 2 indicates the flue sheet thereof and forming a continuation of the flue sheet is the inside throat sheet 3. The sides of the firebox are formed by the side sheets 14 and the top of the fire box is provided by the transversely arched or curved crown sheet 5 which merges into the fire-box side sheets. Said side sheets and crown sheet extend between and are connected at their ends to the back sheet 1 and flue and throat sheet 2 and 8 respectively, the crown sheet being inclined upwardly from the back sheet toward the flue sheet so that its highest point or head 6 is at the flue sheet end thereof.

The wrapper of the boiler includes a roof and 12 and the side water legs 1313 are all.

closed at the bottom by a mud ring 14, while the bottom of the firebox is formed by the grate indicated by the dotted line 15 in Fig.

1. In the back head and back sheet respec tively is formed the fuel door opening 16 and extending forwardly from the flue sheet 2 are the fines or tubes 17 through which prod nets of combustion from the firebox are drawn to the smoke box at the front end of the boiler (not shown) in the manner well known. The roof sheet and crown sheet are connected by the usual stay bolts 18 as are the side sheets 1 and 9, throat sheets 3 and 10 and back sheets 1 and 8 respectively. The construction just set forth is typical of that type ofloeomotive boiler now in general use and need not be described in greater detail.

In locomotive practice, the usual water level desired to be maintained, is suchas to keep the crown sheet submerged at all times.

- gine crew by the use of gages or water glasses in the cab of the locomotive. Such ga es are inaccurate, not necessarily due to faul y construction of the gages themselves, but due to boilerwater conditions suchas sur ings, the

banking of water near.v the gages, an foaming V which will produce false levels in the gages one of assmall. a dimension as possible, I

provide means for drawing water from some other part of the boiler on flooding it or washing it-ovcrparts adyecent said head to limit said area in dimensions as best shown at 20 in Fig. 3. I find, one simple and practical way of so controlling the size or area of the dry spot? on the crown sheet head, is to provide water circulating pipes 21 which open at their-top sends through the crown sheet upon opposite sides but adjacent the longitudinal median line of the crown sheet at the head end thereof, the bottom end of said pipes preferably but not necessarily opening through the inner throat. sheet 3 to communicate with the front throat 1 2. I have shown said pipes arranged in groups,fwith the pipes in each group all arranged inthe' same common plane extend ng longitudinally of the firebox; This arrangement in no manner interferes with the process of combustion in the firebox and in no manner blocks or battles the products thereof on their way to the fines 17 Should an excess of water be distributed upon the head end of the crown sheet, by

said-pipes there would be nothing detrimental in such action because the dangerous conditionof the crown sheet cannot occur as long i as itis submerged or maintained flooded with water; As soon as sald area of the head hecomes: uncovered,itbecomes dry and excessively hot and in fact softens so that the steam pressure causes it to flex downwardly into lth'efirebox. When this flexing begins, that portion ofthe crown sheet tends to pull away from the stay bolts, 17 therein so that steam escapes in a continuous jet into the firebox as best shown in Fig. 4. lVhensuch a condition is observed b the fireman during the stoking of the fire ox, more water is fed to the boiler to reestablishfthe desired water leveL- Thereafter, there may be a leakage of a small amount of water into the firebox but a this is immaterial because the locomotive is withdrawn from serviceat the first point of opportunityalong the run. As'the fuel door is opened at frequent intervals and in some cases is left opened, the presence of steam blowing into the firebox is instantly ascertained and as instantly warns the LIW'IIIO crew that something is wrong in the boiler water level even though the gage shows a sufiinient amount of water in the boiler, so that water conditions may be rectified. Thus the construction above described constitutes a positive low ater tell tale or indicator, which operates from that portion of the boiler directly affected and cannot prove false in its indications or telling.

My improved construction is indeed positive in operation and visibl y presents the low condition or level of the water in the boiler before it is too late to correct the same.

\Vhile in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction as well as form and arrangement of the carts thereof, the same is to be taken as by way of illustration only, so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. locomotive boiler embodyin therein, a crown sheet having an elevate portion, means operatin at a predetermined low water level for owing water upon the elevated portion of the crown sheet which would otherwise be ex )osed at said level, said means being so formed and adapted as to isolate and uncover a predetermined initial portion of limited size so as to act as a low water tell tale.

2. A locomotive boiler embodyin therein, a crown sheet having an elevated portion, means operating at a predetermined low water level for flowing water upon the highest elevated portion or head of the crown sheet which would otherwise be exposed at said level, said means being so formed and so acting to isolate and uncover a limited part of the crown sheet head so as to act as a low water tell tale.

3. A locomotive boiler embodying therein a. crown sheet having a head at one end which is higher than the other end of the crown sheet, and means for supplying boiler water thereto to restrict the dry area of said head to a limited size upon the fall of the boiler water level below that of said crown sheet head.

4. A locomotive boiler embodying therein a crown sheet and a roof sheet and stay bolts connecting the same, said crown sheet having a head at one end which is higher than the other end of the crown sheet, and means for supplying boiler water thereto to restrict the dry area to that including a limited number of stay bolts, upon the fall of the boiler water level below that of the crown sheet head.

5. A locomotive boiler embodvin therein, a roof sheet, a crown sheet, and a %ue shoot to which one end of said crown sheet is connected, there being stay bolts, connecting the crown sheet and root sheet, that end of the crown sheet connected to the flue sheet being higher than the other end of the crown sheet to provide a head, and means for supplying boiler water to said head to restrict the dry area thereon to that including a limited number of stay bolts upon the fall of the boiler water level below that of said crown sheet head.

6. A locomotive boiler and firebox embodying therein, a roof sheet and a crown sheet having a head at one end which is higher than the other end of the crown sheet and means exposed to the products of combustion in the firebox for supplying boiler water to said head to restrict the dry area of said head to a limited size upon the fall of the water level of the boiler below that of said crown sheet head.

7. A locomotive boiler and firebox embody ing therein, a roof sheet and a crown sheet having a head at one end which is higher than the other end of the crown sheet and tubes located in the firebox and opening through the crown sheet at the sides of said head and drawing "water from another part of the boiler for supplying boiler water to said head to restrict the dry area of said head to a limited size upon the fall of the water level of the boiler below that of said crown sheet head.

8. The method of operating a locomotive boiler having a crown sheet which consists in limiting that portion of the crown sheet first to be uncovered at a low water line to a limited area by sru'iplying a portion of the boiler water to said crown. sheet portion in such an amount as to maintain said limited area to one of a predetermined size.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16 day of March, 1926.

CHARLES GILBERT HAVVLEY. 

